How do you ship a basket case car?

rbogh901 · 07:52 PM

I've seen plenty of threads on shipping cars but they are mostly running vehicles. Or if not, they are essentially intact.

Many of the projects we see are incomplete but come with an inventory of additional parts. Will the shippers let you stack parts in the cars for shipping?

Here is an ad where clearly there will be a lot of loose hardware. At the end it is implied that they will be shipped and LTL is mentioned. Does anyone have any wisdom when it comes to this kind of transport?

1970 911T R group with 1978 SC complete project $10K (2 for one)

As for LTL: Are they willing to ship non running cars and loose parts then? Who else, esp West Coast, and are there things to watch for?

thx.

Carl

rbogh901 · 02-15-2012, 07:56 PM

Uh oh. Looks like LTL isn't a specific company, it's a type of shipping, Less Than truckLoad. So who has done this and how is it done?

80-911SC · 80-911SC's Garage

I have delivered LTL before ... basically Yellow freight,and the other large trucking company's are LTL ..

You arrange for pickup at a place and time ... how you or them are to load (IE forklift) some have drop gates etc .. just contact the trucker and let them know what you have to send .. how you or if you need them to load .. where it goes .. and how it comes off the other end ... Most charge more for residential area pickup .. best bet is if you can load at a dock so they can back up and push it in ...

If they load they are going to charge you if you load they are going to have an allotted time for you to load .. if you take longer they are going to hit you for stand by time and the same goes on the other end ...

There are brokers for trucking you can contact .. you may want to look into a Hot shot which is a smaller truck .. basically a dually pick up and an enclosed trailer .. that would be your best bet dollar wise ... Figure minimum a buck or two a mile ....

timmy2 · timmy2's Garage

Utah to Seattle. Personally I'd drive my/a truck and a trailer up there and haul them back myself. Take a buddy with another truck and trailer and get it done in 4 days.
I had an inop car shipped from FL to MT but that was a lot further.
Looks like one of them is a roller and the other is going to be on a pallet or you'll need some kind of cart or roller system to get it on or in a trailer.
If shipped you'll need a loading dock to unload the chassis and then get it to your shop/garage somehow.

dsfnctn · 02-16-2012, 07:06 AM

This is my car deal and I do a lot of business that involves shipping. I have emails everyday from carriers begging for freight. Less than load is a great way to go especially if you are shipping to and from a loading dock. Shipping a tub is best done on a pallet like set up. I have fork extensions and have picked the car and placed inside trailer .
My best friend who owns the car also owns a trucking company. He is always telling me not to over truck. A good way to ship a car is a one way flight ,pick up a U-haul 16 ft. van and go to home depot and get some wood and fir out the inside to flush with the fenders inside the box and then find a flat bed wrecker and have him pickup the car,bah up to the U haul and rool in.
With this deal we are going to put the tub in the back of dodge 2500 and tow SC on trailer and deliver for the new owner.

rbogh901 · 02-17-2012, 07:25 AM

Wow, that's some packing there.

I signed up for shipping offers and have had a lot of calls/emails from folks trying to set something up. It's pretty aggressive and makes me wonder how to sort them out.

It probably makes sense to check the U-haul option since you can pack whatever you need however you want and take it whenever you choose.

rbogh901 · 02-17-2012, 12:34 PM

Well, here's what I have found. If the car runs enough to load a 17' Uhaul truck is going to cost more than door to door enclosed shipping by a reputable company by a couple hundred after gas and I'll be on the road for 2 days. The brokers tell you they will accept a few loose items up to 100# but that isn't dependable as a driver could show up and balk.

Even though I'd love to be there the whole way it just doesn't make sense. Even renting a trailer and driving my own rig doesn't compete with the truckers. They have economy of scale.

LTL is a problem if you don't have a loading dock or some other way to get things into the trailer.

group911@aol.co · 02-17-2012, 12:47 PM

Uship.com

lgb240 · 02-17-2012, 12:48 PM

I'd get a trailer and fetch it yourself with your own rig. Even if it is a few hundred more, what you get is control of your own destiny and piece of mind - you can now take all the care, attention and carefull consideration yourself and assure that it gets from A to B safely and without additional damage.

Lukesportsman · 02-17-2012, 02:00 PM

i had a basket case delivered through uship.com back when it first came to the surface. Found a guy with a roll back Al trailer that was returning from a shipment that did a wonderful job for less than I could have driven both ways with my gas truck and steel trailer. Arkansas to Indiana for $300. Why? He had to drive that route anyhow and I paid for his fuel on his return trip. Its worth a look.

rbogh901 · 03-22-2012, 08:35 PM

We ended up getting the car running making things easier.

Uship was reasonable but the bidding got all screwed up and I lost all the best offers. I ended up going with Progressive and saved $200 over the best uship bids and $500 over their highest anyway. Had the car in about 3 days for less than I could have rented a truck/trailer, not to mention saving a day driving each way. Intercity was not unreasonable but I ended up $200 under their best too.